At least 10 uses for Dryer Lint
I know. We shouldn't be using dryers. However, my mom considers it her one gift from God and she's using it. She's lived through the post-depression era, the WWII scrounging for any bit of metal era and being the first house in her town to have electricity. So, considering how much she conserves in other areas of life, I'll give it to her with no argument.
But what to do with the lint?
My main use is for the birds during nesting season.
I also used it in paper when I went through that phase - gives great character and texture to the paper.
And from here on, I leave it to others' creativity to guide...
Good article on misc uses
From ThriftyFun.com
Hang Dry Instead
Dryer lint is an expensive commodity. It represents the life being worn from your clothes by the action and heat of the dryer. I know that's why I won't dry anything of mine any more. I get it out and hang it up to dry or put it on the line.
By Joe
Stuffing Toys
A great tip I found by accident using dryer lint is stuffing for small dolls and teddybears. I was making my girls small bears and ran out of stuffing. I needed to finish them and it was too late to go to the store so I was searching my laundry room for some extra and came across my bag of "lint". I quickly grabbed it and stuffed away. The bears smell great and are soft and washable.
By Melissa
Nesting Material for Birds
To "help" the birds build a nice warm nest this spring to hatch their babies, toss some lint from your dryer lint screen onto the branches of your trees. They'll sing their gratitude as they use it for nesting material!
By LS from Michigan
Worms Or Compost
Dryer lint can make great food for worms! Toss it into your local friendly worm farm or into a compost heap and it'll be turned into lovely healthy soil for your garden! You can also use it to stuff home-made cushions, or stuffed toys, if your worm farm isn't in existence yet!
By Ricky
Insulation
Since we live in a very old, drafty farmhouse, I noticed there are little nooks and crannies that let cold air in the house. I have been using the lint from the dryer as a "draft dodger". I make sure it is not near anything electrical. It has worked great!
By Michelle
Make Paper
This may sound a little corny but you can use it to make paper. There is a way to do it involving hot water, glue, a screen and a heavy pressing object. It's been awhile since I've done it. Check your local library for a few books on it to get it right. We did something with dandelions in elementary school to do it but I did it at home with dryer lint until my mom got tired of all the places my "paper" was drying dripping on her floor.
By Katzprizim
Dryer Lint Clay
Ingredients
Here's recipes for making clay out of dryer lint.
1 1/2 cups lint from the dryer
1 cup water
1/2 cup flour
2 drops wintergreen mint flavoring
Old newspaper
Paint
Directions
Place the lint in a saucepan and cover it with the water. When the lint is saturated, add the flour and stir until it is smooth. Add the drops of wintergreen oil flavoring. Cook the mixture, stirring constantly, until it forms peaks and holds together. Pour it onto newspaper to cool. Shape and model figures, or cover a form with it, such as a balloon. Allow to dry for 3 to 5 days, then paint and decorate as required.
By homeschoolin_mum
Dryer Lint Clay a Success
My experimentation with dryer lint clay was a success! I made a wonderful bowl out of it. When I removed the mixture from the stove, I poured it onto an overturned glass bowl that had 2 sheets of tissue paper over it (the big ones, like the ones used in wrapping presents). I then used my batter spatula to spread it around the base of the bowl. It was thick enough that it spread like gooey cake frosting, but it didn't run at all.
It took days to dry, but the texture is wonderful, and since that dryer load must have had something dark in it, the bowl is like a deep denim/ navy gray color with white flecks (although I suspect those are clumps of flour - I can't stress enough to make sure you don't just dump it all in the pot at one time - like I did!) And don't try to use a whisk or you'll be picking strands of fiber (and hair) out of it! Heheheh, What fun! AND depending on what you've been drying, the colors will change!
By Nancy
Artwork
I remember a beautiful picture made from lint at a Ripley's Believe It Or Not Museum. I always wanted to try to make a picture after that.
By Sandy
Mix 1/2 cup of flour with 1 cup of Sta-Flo liquid starch, then add to dryer lint as needed to form shapes on a piece of plywood. Continue adding various shapes and colors, mixing with the Sta-Flo recipe as needed for the right texture. Allow to dry thoroughly, spray with sealer.
Sounds corny, but if you use your imagination you can make an impressive piece of art. Others will admire your work and not know what it is made from if you do it right.
By KAREN
Fire Starter
You can put this lint to use if you have a wood stove. The soft batts of lint ignite quickly and help set kindling ablaze.
By joesgirl
The "fluff" in your dryer lint screen makes great fireplace tinder. You can ball it up and use to start fires quickly
By Doggy
A friend showed me how to melt used candles/wax in a coffee can in a pan of simmering water. Stuff the lint into cardboard egg cartons. Carefully, pour the melted wax over the lint. Let dry then use a couple of the "lint/wax eggs" as fire starters in the fireplace. We have used these for 3-4 years .They work just fine.
By Vi
Don't throw away your dryer lint if you have a fireplace or go camping. Fill toilet paper or paper towel tubes with dryer lint and newspaper. Close the ends and you have a great fire starter!
By Melissa Z.
Be careful when you burn dryer lint. How it burns will depend VERY much on what the lint is made out of! Anything manmade will melt, smoke, smell like burning plastic, and put out fumes you don't want to be around. Cotton, wool, or linen dryer lint, on the other hand, is fine. If you have a question, take some outside in your driveway and burn it. If it turns into little hard beads, don't put it in your fireplace.
By Kathy K.
A great spoof!
But what to do with the lint?
My main use is for the birds during nesting season.
I also used it in paper when I went through that phase - gives great character and texture to the paper.
And from here on, I leave it to others' creativity to guide...
Good article on misc uses
From ThriftyFun.com
Hang Dry Instead
Dryer lint is an expensive commodity. It represents the life being worn from your clothes by the action and heat of the dryer. I know that's why I won't dry anything of mine any more. I get it out and hang it up to dry or put it on the line.
By Joe
Stuffing Toys
A great tip I found by accident using dryer lint is stuffing for small dolls and teddybears. I was making my girls small bears and ran out of stuffing. I needed to finish them and it was too late to go to the store so I was searching my laundry room for some extra and came across my bag of "lint". I quickly grabbed it and stuffed away. The bears smell great and are soft and washable.
By Melissa
Nesting Material for Birds
To "help" the birds build a nice warm nest this spring to hatch their babies, toss some lint from your dryer lint screen onto the branches of your trees. They'll sing their gratitude as they use it for nesting material!
By LS from Michigan
Worms Or Compost
Dryer lint can make great food for worms! Toss it into your local friendly worm farm or into a compost heap and it'll be turned into lovely healthy soil for your garden! You can also use it to stuff home-made cushions, or stuffed toys, if your worm farm isn't in existence yet!
By Ricky
Insulation
Since we live in a very old, drafty farmhouse, I noticed there are little nooks and crannies that let cold air in the house. I have been using the lint from the dryer as a "draft dodger". I make sure it is not near anything electrical. It has worked great!
By Michelle
Make Paper
This may sound a little corny but you can use it to make paper. There is a way to do it involving hot water, glue, a screen and a heavy pressing object. It's been awhile since I've done it. Check your local library for a few books on it to get it right. We did something with dandelions in elementary school to do it but I did it at home with dryer lint until my mom got tired of all the places my "paper" was drying dripping on her floor.
By Katzprizim
Dryer Lint Clay
Ingredients
Here's recipes for making clay out of dryer lint.
1 1/2 cups lint from the dryer
1 cup water
1/2 cup flour
2 drops wintergreen mint flavoring
Old newspaper
Paint
Directions
Place the lint in a saucepan and cover it with the water. When the lint is saturated, add the flour and stir until it is smooth. Add the drops of wintergreen oil flavoring. Cook the mixture, stirring constantly, until it forms peaks and holds together. Pour it onto newspaper to cool. Shape and model figures, or cover a form with it, such as a balloon. Allow to dry for 3 to 5 days, then paint and decorate as required.
By homeschoolin_mum
Dryer Lint Clay a Success
My experimentation with dryer lint clay was a success! I made a wonderful bowl out of it. When I removed the mixture from the stove, I poured it onto an overturned glass bowl that had 2 sheets of tissue paper over it (the big ones, like the ones used in wrapping presents). I then used my batter spatula to spread it around the base of the bowl. It was thick enough that it spread like gooey cake frosting, but it didn't run at all.
It took days to dry, but the texture is wonderful, and since that dryer load must have had something dark in it, the bowl is like a deep denim/ navy gray color with white flecks (although I suspect those are clumps of flour - I can't stress enough to make sure you don't just dump it all in the pot at one time - like I did!) And don't try to use a whisk or you'll be picking strands of fiber (and hair) out of it! Heheheh, What fun! AND depending on what you've been drying, the colors will change!
By Nancy
Artwork
I remember a beautiful picture made from lint at a Ripley's Believe It Or Not Museum. I always wanted to try to make a picture after that.
By Sandy
Mix 1/2 cup of flour with 1 cup of Sta-Flo liquid starch, then add to dryer lint as needed to form shapes on a piece of plywood. Continue adding various shapes and colors, mixing with the Sta-Flo recipe as needed for the right texture. Allow to dry thoroughly, spray with sealer.
Sounds corny, but if you use your imagination you can make an impressive piece of art. Others will admire your work and not know what it is made from if you do it right.
By KAREN
Fire Starter
You can put this lint to use if you have a wood stove. The soft batts of lint ignite quickly and help set kindling ablaze.
By joesgirl
The "fluff" in your dryer lint screen makes great fireplace tinder. You can ball it up and use to start fires quickly
By Doggy
A friend showed me how to melt used candles/wax in a coffee can in a pan of simmering water. Stuff the lint into cardboard egg cartons. Carefully, pour the melted wax over the lint. Let dry then use a couple of the "lint/wax eggs" as fire starters in the fireplace. We have used these for 3-4 years .They work just fine.
By Vi
Don't throw away your dryer lint if you have a fireplace or go camping. Fill toilet paper or paper towel tubes with dryer lint and newspaper. Close the ends and you have a great fire starter!
By Melissa Z.
Be careful when you burn dryer lint. How it burns will depend VERY much on what the lint is made out of! Anything manmade will melt, smoke, smell like burning plastic, and put out fumes you don't want to be around. Cotton, wool, or linen dryer lint, on the other hand, is fine. If you have a question, take some outside in your driveway and burn it. If it turns into little hard beads, don't put it in your fireplace.
By Kathy K.
A great spoof!
posted by Leslie at
9:56 PM
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